Seed-sower.



No. 739,752. P'ATENTED SEPT. 22, 1903.

W. H. BOHB.

SEED sown. APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 14, 1802,

R0 MODEL.

WITNESSES: 7 22 I go ATTQRNEYS m: mans vzrzns cu PHDTGUTMO" wax-maven, uv n UNITED. STATES Patented September 22, 1903.2

P TENT OFFICE.

SEED-SOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,752, dated September 22, 1903.

' Application filed February 14. 1902. Serial No 94,049. (Ia model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Boss, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Westphalia, in the county of Clinton and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seed Sowers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in hand seed-sowers; and the object that I have in view is the provision of a simple, compact, and cheap article which may easily be carried on the person and manipulated or controlled with facility, so as to distribute small seeds, such as clover-seed and grass-seed.

A further object of the invention is to provide the seeder with means for regulating the passage or discharge of the seed and for indicating the rate of discharge, so that the operator may determine at a glance at a dial the amount of seed per acre at which the regulator is adjusted.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. 7

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding partsin all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the use of my improved seed-sower. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the sewer on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the receptacle, the seed-plate, and the regulator-plate. Fig.4 is aplan view of the part shown by Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an-enlarged sectional View through the distributing end of the seed tube or spout, and Fig. 6 is an inverted or bottom plan view of said tube or spout.

In carrying my invent-ion into practice I' employ a receptacle 5, which is preferably tapered from its upper end toward its lower end, although said receptacle may be cylin dricai, if desired. In or near the upper end of this receptacle is secured in any suitable way a transverse seed-plate G, the same being provided with a seed-discharge slot 7 and with a central perforation or opening, through which is adapted to pass the pivotal bolt 8, as shown by Fig. 3.

A regulator-plate 9 is loosely fitted upon the seed-plate 6, so as to rest thereon, and this regulator-plate is confined in operative relation to the seed-plate by fitting the pivotal bolt 8 in a vertical opening in said regulator-plate. The regulator-plate is provided with a spiral or curved operative edge 10, which has its different portions lying at different distances from the axis, afforded by the pivotal bolt 8. This operative spiral edge of the axiallyturning regulator plate is adapted to project across the seed-distributing slot 7, and the area of this slot may be varied by the difierent adjustments of the. regulator-plate. At its widest portion the regulator-plate terminates in a shoulder 11, which is quite narrow, as shown by Fig. 4; but the other longer edge of the wide portion of this regulator-plate is provided with an upstanding flange 12, the latter serving as a thumb-piece for the convenient adjustment of said regulator plate. This upstanding edge of the regulatorplate is adapted to traverse the graduations which form a dial on the top exposed plate of the seed-plate 6, and this dial has its graduations so arranged that it will serve, in connection with the index or pointer afforded by the flange 12, as a means to indicate the amount of seed which may be sown per acre under the different adjustments of the regulator-plate to bring different portions of its spirally-formed edge 10 across the seed-slot 7.

The bolt 8 extends a suitable distance above the regulator-plate and is provided with a head 13, and said bolt also extends below the seed-plate, so that it may preferably receive the clamping-nut 14.. (See Fig. 3.) The bolt may thus be adjusted easily by hand for the purpose of holding the regulator-plate firmly in its adjusted position; but it is evident that the bolt may be released previous to turning the regulator-plate around said bolt, this turning adjustment of the regulator-plate being readily effected by pressing against the thumb-piece or flange 12.

In connection with'the receptacle 5 I may employ the tapering hopper 15, the same having frictional engagement with the receptacle at the upper portion of the latter. This hop- ICO per and the receptacle may each be made of sheet metal or any other suitable material, I

and said hopper serves to maintain a full supply of seed above the plates 6 9 of the sower. A grain-bag or any other suitable seed-container, such as indicated at 16 in Figs. 1 and 2, may be attached to this hopper 15, and this seed-bag or the hopper may be equipped with a strap 17 and the latter adapted to be placed around the shoulders or neck of the operator.

A distributing tube or spout 1 8 forms a continuation of the seed-passage through the receptacle 5, and this spout is provided in one side thereof with a plurality of seed-escape apertures 19. (See Fig. 2.) The lower end of the spout is cut into tongues 20, which are bent to form the openings 21. (See Fig. 6.) A dividing-plate 22 is secured firmly in the lower part of said tube, and it is notched to form the spurs 23. The dividing-plate is arranged centrally in the lower extremity of the tube, and this plate and the tongues 20 serve to scatter any seed which may pass through the end of the spout.

The mode of using the device is represented by Fig. 1, wherein it appears that the tube 18 is swung horizontally by the operator and the seed flows through the receptacle 5 into the tube and escapes through the apertures 19 in one side of the tube 18 and also through the end of the tube.- The adjustable plate may be turned to different positions to control or govern the quantity of seed which may pass through the sower. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In aseed-sower, a regulatingplate provided with an arm and with a spiral edge which extends from a point near the inner end of the arm on one edge thereof and terminates at a point near the outer end of the arm on the other edge thereof, combined with a dialplate having a seed-slot, the area of which is less than that of the arm on the regulatingplate, and means for pivotally connecting the regulating-plate to and clamping it against the dial-plate; said regulating-plate being adjustable for its spiral edge to vary the area of the seed-slot.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BOHR.

Witnesses:

J OSEPH R. BoHR, LEO ll/IANGERIOH. 

